Existing systems and methods for ignition of a gaseous or dispersive fuel-oxidant mixture are inefficient, costly, and often dangerous. Modern spark plug-based ignition technology used in internal combustion engines leaves unspent fuel in the cylinders of such engines after the combustion cycle and requires use of a catalytic converter to convert toxic combustion byproducts to safer byproducts but which still result in dangerous pollutants being emitted into the atmosphere. Moreover, spark plugs degrade in performance over time resulting in lower and lower combustion efficiency and therefore lower and lower fuel mileage and greater and greater pollution. It is therefore desirable to have an improved system and method for ignition of a fuel-oxidant mixture in internal combustion engines.
Pulse detonation engine technology, which is being developed primarily for use in airplane and rocket engines, promises to provide much higher performance than internal combustion engines. However, the fuel-oxidant mixture ignition methods that have been used in such pulse detonation engines require the use of dangerous and costly fuel-oxidant mixtures and a significant amount of energy to achieve detonation. Moreover, the timing and the magnitudes of the detonations produced in such engines are difficult to control due to the limitations of the ignition methods being deployed. As such, it is also desirable to have an improved system and method for ignition of a fuel-oxidant mixture in pulse detonation engines.